Some serological attributes of the European gipsies

Abstract

This thesis describes some serological attributes of the European Gipsy populations in relation to the host countries and area of the postulated origin. Blood and serum group examinations were made on Czechoslovakian (Slovak) Gipsies. The methods used to determine the blood group types involved serological and electrophoretic techniques. The systems examined mere: ABO, MNSs, Rh, Kell, Duffy, Kp, Haptoglobin, Transferrin;, Acid Phosphatase, Adenylate. Kinase, Phosphoglucomutase and Esterase D. A total of 119 Slovakian Gipsies were tested. In the different systems examined the phenotype and gene frequency values were calculated Comparison of the present results with those of blood and serum group examinations performed on Northern-Indian populations and those of the Slovakian non-Gipsy populations show that the phenotype and gene frequency values of the Czechoslovakian (Slovak) among whom they live. Comparison of the present samples with published data for other European Gipsy populations, those of Northern India and those of European non-Gipsy populations revealed that there are still genetic differences between Gipsy populations and the surrounding communities, and suggests that present day Gipsy populations are increasingly diverging in genetic structure from each other and from the original ancestral population.